Home / Education / Parents Quit Jobs Over Child's School Absence
Parents Quit Jobs Over Child's School Absence
2 Jul
Summary
- Over a third of parents took unpaid leave for child's school absence.
- Two in five parents lost up to £10,000 annually in income.
- Persistent absence affects 1.34 million pupils in England.
Parents are experiencing severe financial hardship and career disruptions because their children persistently refuse to attend school. A survey of 2,000 UK parents found that over a third took at least a month of unpaid leave, and two in five reported losing up to £10,000 annually in income. Some fathers polled had to leave their jobs altogether due to these circumstances.
This issue is particularly acute in England, where government figures from the 2024/25 academic year indicated about 1.34 million pupils were persistently absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of their classes. Parents describe immense stress, with constant worry and exhaustion making it difficult to maintain employment.
One mother shared that she ended up taking sick leave due to the toll of her daughter's school struggles, while another lost at least £15,000 a year. The founder of an online school described this as a "hidden mental health crisis." The Department for Education states it is implementing measures like free breakfast clubs and mental health support teams to address the root causes of absence.
